


know i'm standing here by choice

by gayxiaolong



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, but like. in a post v7 world where salem doesnt immediately show up, idk what "plot" is but they're in love, post v7, they get a few days, winter defected and joined the happy huntresses, winter having big sis feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26117869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayxiaolong/pseuds/gayxiaolong
Summary: Winter just stares at the outstretched hand.“What?”“You need something to focus on that isn’t your I’m-A-Bad-Big-Sister feelings. So come dance with me.”***or, Winter talks through her feelings with Robyn and they figure out where they stand together.
Relationships: Robyn Hill/Winter Schnee
Comments: 8
Kudos: 69





	know i'm standing here by choice

**Author's Note:**

> (title from Closer to You by Clairo)

“This feels like I’m your therapist or something,” Robyn jokes. Winter has been laying, sprawled out, on the huntress’ couch for the past half hour, trying to form a coherent thought. It was too early to think clearly, but that didn’t stop her mind from racing anyway.

Robyn has a point. From the corner of her eye, Winter sees her sitting cross-legged on the chair across from her, sipping her coffee. The contrast between their positions does make her feel like she’s in a counseling session rather than just talking to a friend- if she could call Robyn that. She just doesn’t have it in her to laugh at their situation at the moment. With a glare at Robyn that wasn’t entirely deserved, she sat up fully and leaned back against the couch instead. 

It had taken several visits to the Happy Huntresses’ house to stop sitting on the very edge of the couch, legs crossed at the ankles. The rigidity and alertness just isn’t required here. Now that she’s staying with them as well, her instinct to be proper has been washed over by calm. She is still getting used to that feeling of safety, and doesn’t want to have to unpack how that feeling is related to her and Robyn getting closer. 

“I was joking, Win,” she assures, “you can tell me what’s bothering you.” The nickname was new. Everything with Robyn was new. Every second with her has been colored in lines being pushed, walls collapsing, slow steps forward. 

Winter sighs, unsure. “When I defected-”

“You mean when you broke me out of jail and became a traitor to the Atlas Military?”

“Oh, how could I forget,” she jokes back, ignoring the guilt that still shows up when she thinks about leaving the military. She pushes that feeling down. That night felt so dangerous at the time, but her decision to free Robyn was the best choice she ever made. It freed herself, too. She continues, “When I left, I didn’t realize how hard it would be to forgive myself.”

Robyn pauses. Slowly, she asks, “For defecting? I’ve told you, you’re so much better than those Atlas elite assholes in the military. Ironwood treated you like shit.” Her voice sounded sadder than Winter is accustomed to. Like she was expecting her to say she was going back to Atlas. 

“No, no. I know the military was doing more harm than good. I know it was the right choice to leave, and to come here,” she starts, blushing at that last admission slightly. “I… I just feel bad for not believing Weiss. Or being there for her.

“I should be more of a role model. I’ve tried so hard to never treat her like the rest of our family does, but I’ve still ended up distancing myself. I never wanted to show her any of my flaws but she knows them anyway. We’re too similar, too broken in the same way. I’m just glad she had her team when I couldn’t be there for her. I’m thankful she didn’t have to do it alone.”

“Like you did?” Robyn asks, voice soft and caring. 

Winter just nods, looking at the floor. She doesn’t want to think about how long it took to stop flinching at every deep voice after leaving Schnee Manor, or how long before she was able to actually cry. Emotions weren’t allowed in any form other than bottled up with her father. The process of recovering from her childhood took so long, and she definitely didn’t have help from Ironwood. The military was just the same trauma in a different form. The feeling of not being valued just continued with a man who pretended to care instead of one that never tried the act. 

“Well you have us now.”

“Better late than never,” she attempts a smile. The happy huntresses really have helped her. Winter had absolutely no clue what her life would look like after leaving the army and rebelling against Ironwood’s commands. Then she found violet eyes, someone that would fight for her, a voice that only turned soft when directed at her. She’s always been good at being alone, but she knows, now, that she doesn’t have to be.

“Joanna and Fiona have been keeping tabs on the kids since they came down to Mantle, so I know where they’re staying. We could go see her tomorrow, if you want to.”

“We?” Winter raised an eyebrow. She would never object to her company, but it keeps surprising her how codependent they’ve become in such a short amount of time. 

“I mean you! Sorry, that’s probably something you want to be alone for. May keeps roasting us for being attached at the hip, I need to listen to her for once.”

Winter laughed, a real, deep laugh that she hasn’t felt in too long. “Of course I want you there, Robyn.”

“Then we’ll go.”

Winter smiles at the woman sitting across from her. There was still too much in her head for her smile to reach her eyes, but it was a start. 

Robyn sets down her mug and extends a hand. “May I have this dance?”

Winter just stares at the outstretched hand.

“What?”

“You need something to focus on that isn’t your I’m-A-Bad-Big-Sister feelings. So come dance with me.” 

Winter takes her hand and follows her to the side of the room with more space- for dancing, apparently. A slow song that sounds vaguely familiar was coming from the speakers of Robyn’s scroll. Robyn starts swaying slowly to the music, her smile inviting and warm. 

The lopsided smile on Winter’s face drops completely when Robyn’s hands find their way to her waist. As much practice as she’s had masking her emotions, nothing could stop the blush forming on her cheeks. She places her arms loosely around the huntress’ neck and tries to find anywhere to look other than her eyes. 

“You don’t have to stay here unless you want to, you know”

“Why would I leave?” Her eyes meet Robyn’s. The violet eyes hold an emotion she can’t place. Does she want her gone?

“You’re a good sister to Weiss. You know that, right? I see how much you care about her. How much you want to take care of her,” Robyn says quietly, “You’re a good friend too. To our team, I mean. We’ve loved having you here. I just- I would understand if you wanted to join them.”

“We?”

“Okay, fine. _I’ve_ loved having you here.”

There was a peace, a freedom, found in the lack of expectation. Winter knows how to bear the weight of responsibilities. It feels better to not have to. She’s never been given the option to leave, the space to even consider it. She’s used to feeling smothered and having to claw her way out. 

This is the first time she has a place she wants to stay- a person she wants to stay _with_.

In a move far less calculated than normal, Winter places a hand on her cheek, gently pulling their foreheads together. In a whisper, she responds, “I like where I am.”

“Me too.”

They stay like that, content and swaying. At some point, several songs in, Robyn leans in. Winter’s world is painted violet. In her lips, in her arms, in her eyes- there’s home.

**Author's Note:**

> hi, i hope you enjoyed that gay mess my brain spit out while i was listening to clairo. let me know what you thought!
> 
> you can find me on twitter @gayxiaolong as well


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